


Bad End

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 14:23:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13366569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: The druids say that your Jorvik Warmblood is your Soul Steed, but you disagree. Too bad.





	Bad End

Linda frowns at you when you ride up to her on your Mustang.

“That’s not your first horse, is it?” she says. You shrug.

“This is my true Soul Steed,” you say, petting the horse’s mane. You love this horse more than any of the other horses that reside in your stables, far more than that old nag that Justin gave you when you first arrived at Moorland. If you could, you would have sold that horse, but nobody buys it whenever you put it up for sale.

“Hmm, that’s not the one I saw in my vision,” says Linda. You roll your eyes.

“Never mind, let’s just go,” says Lisa. You smile, glad that at least someone has sided with you on this, and walk onto the barge.

The journey out to the oil rig is rough. Most of the Soul Riders are seasick, puking over the side of the barge, but your belly is calm as you sit on the back of the horse that you love the most.

But at last, the group of you arrive, and you follow Lisa and Alex off the barge and onto the oil rig.

“I’ll wait here with the barge,” says Linda. She still looks uncertain as your horse tosses his head, but she lets you ride away with Lisa and Alex.

The oil rig is empty, eerily so. The hair on your arms stands on end, and you know that it’s not just because of the ball of lightning that Alex grips in her palm like a torch. But you continue following them, looking around every corner, always on edge. Anyone could appear at any moment. You need to be on your guard.

“Wait, what’s that?” asks Alex, peering at the helipad. “Is that…?” There is a barrel sitting on the end of a plank, perched there quite precariously.

“Lots of guards there too,” says Lisa. Your horse is eager beneath you, and jumpy. You put a hand on his mane to calm him, and ride him onwards towards the helipad. The sound of doors opening behind you makes the three of you dash to hide, which you do so behind some containers. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the interior light, is Mr Sands.

“What does he want?” Alex hisses, glaring at him.

“I don’t you,” you murmur. “Wait here, I’ll go and talk to him.” Your Mustang’s hooves clatter on the metal floor, loud in the darkness, but they do not slip despite the rain.

“I thought you’d be back here,” says Mr Sands. “You always do seem to return.” You glower at him.

“What do you want?” you ask. You are on horseback while he is standing wreathed in steam, so you know that you could quite easily crush him if you so chose.

“I want you to rescue my grandson,” says Mr Sands. You blink in surprise. So Mr Sands truly does care about the welfare of his grandson? Or maybe it’s just a trap.

“Really?” you ask.

“Yes,” says Mr Sands, nodding. “Much to my great displeasure, my grandson does not possess the powers that I do. He is useless to us, but I still do not want him dead.”

“I thought you were the boss,” you say. “Couldn’t you stop the Generals from killing him?”

“Unfortunately not,” says Mr Sands. “But that is where you come in. I can set off an alarm to draw the Generals back inside, but you need to work quickly. Justin’s execution is scheduled for not long from now.”

“I will,” you say. “As long as you hold up your end of the bargain.” You leave the room, wondering if perhaps you should have shaken on it.

“What did he want?” Alex hisses as you return to the group. She is still staring out at the helipad. “Oh no, they have him in the barrel…” You can see Justin from here, struggling as two goons hold him down.

“He said that he’s going to help us,” you say. “He’s going to set off an alarm to draw the Generals and goons away from Justin.”

“Pfft, a likely story,” says Lisa. But, even as the words leave her lips, an alarm suddenly begins to blare, red lights flashing around the base. “Or not…”

The three of you watch as the goons and Generals race back inside, but the Generals take their time. You freeze, terrified that one of them will turn their head and see you, as this shipping container isn’t very good cover. But none of them do. To your distress, though, some goons were left on the helipad, possibly to guard the prisoner.

You continue onto the helipad, Alex and Lisa going ahead to take out the goons while you stay at the back so that you can dart in and rescue Justin. Though you’re not sure how you’re going to do it, not with the plank being so narrow.

In the chaos of the battle, Justin’s struggles increase. The two goons continue to try to hold him down, but even they are soon drawn away to the battle. Without them holding him down, Justin’s struggles begin to shake the barrel.

“Justin, no!” you call out, extending a hand in his direction. You look around frantically, your heart pounding. The helipad looks safe to step onto now, most of the guards either shining with the crystalline quality of Soul Strike or otherwise lying wounded from burns thanks to Lisa’s fire.

But just as you reach the middle of the helipad, Justin falls. You freeze in that moment, your entire body and mind locking up as all you can see is Justin falling. But you don’t stay still for long. It might be hopeless, it might not even work, but… you feel like this is the right thing to do.

And so, even though it seems pointless, you ride hard towards the plank, your horse breathing hard under you. You jump, your grasping fingers just barely brushing the metal of the oil barrel. But then you plunge into the waves, and you scream. This is wrong. All wrong. Your horse was supposed to save you, but no… not this one. Because this horse is not your Soul Steed.

A vision flashes before your eyes. It is you, leaping from the plank but only for a moment as your Jorvik Warmblood, your true Soul Steed, the one that has been left out in your pasture for months now, glows with magical power and extends glimmering wings. And now you are trapped, your feet not leaving the stirrups even as your horse flails and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Darkness covers your vision, and you think that you can hear your Jorvik Warmblood whinnying and screaming in panic as the endless depths of the ocean leech the life from your body.

And the light goes out.


End file.
